6.29.2010

Today I pulled out Sanctuary Unbound, book four of Red Rock Pass by Moira Rogers. It's been on my virtual shelf for over a month now. I opened it up, read the first page or so, and... felt my heart plummet.

I've been with these characters since Becoming, a short story/prequel, where the Alpha, Gavin, found his mate. In that, we also met a very young boy/shifter named Keith. In Cry Sanctuary, a very grown Keith =) finds his mate. Despite following the lives of those in this pack through three books and a few short stories, I didn't realize just how much I had bonded to these men and women. Wolves.

Until I read the opening of Sanctuary Unbound.

In the last book, Sanctuary's Price, Gavin was hurt. And Keith even more so. But fine. Now, as we proceed into the first chapter of the latest piece, Gavin is being monitored on an EKG. His age has caught up with him. Even though he is well over a hundred, Gavin has always been portrayed, much like other wolfshifters, as a man in his prime. But he's not there anymore.

And the question has come, is Keith ready?

So, tears for me. It's been a while but apparently I can still lose my mind over some fictional characters. Not sure how I'll proceed at this point. I doubt Gavin will actually die but if he does, I'll be sad for moons. Gavin and Keith aren't even the main characters anymore!

SANCTUARY UNBOUND, page 1

Cindy gritted her teeth and peeled the backing from the last lead. “I’ll have to see what the EKG shows, but you sure the hell look like you’re having another heart attack.”

Gavin had to move the oxygen mask and unclench his jaw to speak. “It’s not as bad this time.”

He was pale, sweaty and trembling, and she barely managed not to call him a liar. “Put the mask back on and keep it there.” She turned on the machine and checked the signal integrity. “Sit still while I talk to Sam.”

Gavin’s wife hovered in the doorway, tension in her dark eyes even though she’d fixed a stern look on her face. “For God’s sake, do what she says or I’m going to finish you off before your heart gets a chance.”

Instead of arguing, he nodded and leaned his head against the raised headboard of the bed.

Cindy pulled the door shut behind her and watched Gavin through the window. “There’s not much I can do here, Sam. It’s the same as last time. I’m not a cardiologist.”

“Damn it.” Sam squeezed her eyes shut as she lifted her fingers to rub at her temples. “What if I gave him some of my energy? Sasha and the lot of them should be back this afternoon. Maybe if she used magic to bind us…”

“It wouldn’t do anything but hurt you, Sam. Werewolves have accelerated healing, and we live a long time.” But not forever. Gavin’s problems were mundane, and the sort they rarely saw, even in a sanctuary town like Red Rock. “He’s just…not a kid anymore.”

“And this war is killing him.” Sam exhaled sharply. “He can’t keep this up, can he?”

Cindy urged Sam to the chair beside the doorway, keeping tight hold of her hand even after she sat. “There are a lot of things that don’t help, things a werewolf wouldn’t normally have to worry about. The smoking, for one. And yes, his stress level.”

“He doesn’t think Keith’s ready. That’s why he can’t slow down.” Sam’s voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. “When Keith found Abby… You know how he’s been. It was the first time we’d seen him alive in years. And Gavin thought he might be ready to take over. But when Keith got hurt…”

No one knew better than she how close he’d come to dying. “Keith is recovering faster than I’d hoped. The hard truth is that, physically, he’s stronger than Gavin now.”

6.27.2010

6.26.2010

When a team of troubleshooters returns to a small town in France seeking a mysterious assassin killing various people, they soon learn that not all is as it seems when a part of their past returns in a most disturbing way.

Once upon a time, Nicholas Wolfe was a man with his whole life ahead of him. He enjoyed his job work, his friends and had a new love. All of that changed when the boat he was on exploded and the world believed him dead.

In reality, Nick was hurt, captured by the enemy and tortured until his escape to became the dark avenger called Diablo. A mysterious shadow that seeks justice the innocent and revenge on those who wronged him and he was close to achieving this until his past finally catches up with him.

When Macon Reed and Caey White, his former friend and the woman he once loved, return to France with their team in search of a mystery assassin, they have no idea what they are walking into until the night when Diablo is forced to make a choice that will either save him or doom them all. As he must choose between completing his final quest or saving the life of the young woman he had once loved...not only from the real villains but also from himself.

Will Diablo's path of destruction take him against his friends or will he find a way to return to the light?

The blurb is one of the best parts of this story. Sadly, it's probably one of only three. It builds up this amazing tale of vengeance, love, and destiny while the story itself falls so short on being an amazing read simply because of the way it's written. I didn't care for the style at all. Far too simplistic.

And the cover is rather misleading as well.

Nick, an atheist mercenary, is attacked and taken prisoner by a religious cult and tortured to renounce his sinful life and beg forgiveness. His escape is brought about with the help of a worker in the monastery who becomes a father figure to him.

But Nick has been more affected by his trials than one would expect. He refuses to believe he is the same man as before and is driven to take vengeance on his crucifiers. When his former team, which includes the woman he was falling for, is called in to take out 'Diablo', Nick is forced from the shadows of his quest in order to save their lives. In the end, there did manage to be a couple truly heartfelt scenes as Nick loses his mentor and is forced to leave his current path and return to the life he no longer feels deserving of.

This was a great plot, with good characters. They just deserved a better writer.

6.21.2010

Never accuse Coach Tony Peterson of being a quitter, on the gridiron or in his personal life. For a year, his attempts to date Lowell High’s hot little choral director have failed. Melanie Ward is convinced that touchdowns and tempos don’t mix, despite Tony’s irresistible charm. When Tony finally wrangles a date, he schools Mel in blazing explorations of the physical kind. But for Tony, the night isn’t just about scoring—he’s playing for keeps.

I'm actually going to blog a book, and at the moment I'm only 40% done but... wow. This one started out on all the wrong marks. I wanted to stab every single character sitting at the table. But it got good. Quick.

"Dammit, Mel. Don't joke around. I'm a man teetering on the edge here."
She ran her hand along his chest seductively, not stopping until her fingers rested on the waistband of his jeans. "Jump."

The sex was hawt and the football analogies rocked! Oh yeah. A keeper.

Last night, I watched When In Rome after begging my husband to get it for me for over a week. So while he was doing his SecondLife DJ set, I snuggled up on the couch for a good ol' chick flick. And it was sooo good! And funny. OMG funny! Even Matt looked up to laugh now and again. It had a great cast. Josh Duhamel is one of my faves. I so miss Las Vegas where he starred as Danny McCoy. Then Danny Devito was in it. Jon Heder. Will Arnett. Dax Shepard, who I did not know was engaged to Kristen Bell! Just an all around good cast. But damn, couldn't they find Kristen (Beth)some higher heels?? And OH, I luvluvloved the artwork of Nick (Josh D).

And why didn't I know Kristen Stewart and Rob Patterson were dating? More importantly, why don't they know that's a stupid idea? Only gonna end in heartbreak people!! You're not Brangelina. Wow did those two set a bad example.

Reading update.. Just going to name the dumb ones. LoL. Hot for a Reunion by Ann Jacobs. Good gods help me. A man and a woman, both over forty, get together to help their old high school raise some money and are instantly thrust back into their own teenage mindsets. They talked like children. It was ridiculous. Corny. And just wrong. Kayla's Birthday Present by Ashton Chase was okay. It's about a 40 year old woman who sleeps with her best friend and finds it to be the best thing she's ever done. They end up married. Just like HfaR. Completely unrealistic which... yeah.. I am all for ending a book with a marriage or even a proposal... but not if the entire span of their relationship consists of one moon phase. Danu, The Return by Sally Painter was likely the best of that day's reads. It's about two immortals and the woman bargains with the gods to be able to spend x amount of years with the guy in the realm that he's pretty much banished to. It's... lacking. It's obvious there's a big background to the story that you kinda need. But it was still good.

6.15.2010

This week I read my first male-on-male and girl-on-girl erotica. First of all, let me share my thoughts on homosexuality. Just to throw that out there. What people do with their lives is none of my business. I am not here to judge. That's God's job. Live and let live. Die and let burn.

I do support gay marriage.

I do believe marriage is a sacred institution. But let's get real. It hasn't been that way in our society in... ever! Divorce is murder. What gives straight people the pedestal to be the only ones able to trash such a sacred union. It's hypocritical.

On the same hand... I don't believe homosexuality is natural. That's just stupid.

So okay... male on male. I read Changing Perspective by Marilu Mann. Basically it's about a guy, who's also a wolf shifter (did not know that going in) and he meets a new guy in town looking for a job, room, and board, and apparently has no pack. Firstly... it didn't turn me off exactly. But... I don't think I read it right. My mind wouldn't cooperate. I kept picturing a man and a woman even though neither guy had any feminine qualities whatsoever. I did, though, get very confused when it came to who was poking who. LOL. Yeah, I went there.

Girl on girl. I read First Taste by Paisley Smith. Did not gross me out. Did not excite me. That's good, right? I didn't have the problem visualizing as I did with the men. I quite clearly imagined two chicks. I'm a girl, I guess that helps. I was introduced to a new toy in this book. Didn't sound very comfortable.

Overall... apparently as long as it's just two people I'm good to go. Previous to these two I read Outlaw Lovers Dossier by Jan Springer. Basically, it's just a couple interviews with the main male characters of her series in which four men claim one woman. I was so pissed, which grew increasingly with every page. The only one that maybe kinda possibly had me intrigued was the one where the guy and his woman were together before the law declared a woman had to be owned by multiple partners. It had a bitter sweetness to it and it raised the question of jealousy.

I did like one of the guys' answers as to what was his favorite sex toy. So cute.

6.13.2010

So... first order of business, I am not going to make another Naughty Nooners post. There are like forty of these things and it's killing the flow. So there. Today, I am actually going to be reading Eland by Allyson James, Outlaw Lovers Dossier by Jan Springer, Changing Perspective (m/m) by Marilu Mann, and an aptly named First Taste by Paisley Smith which will be my 'first taste' of f/f. Hmmm...

Second order of business... where have I been?

And here's the dealio. I have recently started a new medication. Yays for drugs! While doing a bit of research I found that the most notorious of side effects have been severe mood swings and depression. Eh. I don't know if I'm feeling those per say but I've definitely gotten some side effects. And they're great! Or they could be if they stick.

Something that may or may not be because of these wonder pills has been my lack of drive to read. I've been craving come visual stimulation. My eyes need movement. And words on a page just ain't cutting it. I've been watching a lot of TV... which has been including marathon after marathon of Cops and Man V Food. Currently in another MvF marathon as I type this. I watched Untraceable which was eww and Vantage Point which had potential. While the constant angle changing made it interesting, it also made it crazy confusing. And, oh, I watched a movie called Cravings (also called Daddy's Girl) yesterday. *cringe* I'm all for blood, but oh hell no on the drinky drinky part. That movie was SICK.

6.02.2010

Randall thinks Lindsay Taylor is sexy as hell, but she stays clear because he’s the boss’ son. When Lindsay is in a car accident, Randy throws all his rules out the window to be at her side. They share a heated kiss, but for the weeks she’s on temporary leave Lindsay ignores his calls. Now that it’s her first day back at work, he plans to convince her they’re meant to be together. When he finally gets her alone, he shows her all the physical pleasures she’s been missing out on, heating up the bedroom to scorching levels.

Hmmm. There's not much to say about this one. Lindsay has the hots for her boss's son. Randy is just as smitten with Lindsay. Then when she gets into a car accident he's the first to show up to the hospital and stay with her. They share a kiss which convinces Lindsay she is on the wrong path. The story actually starts after all that and picks up after work on her first day back to the job. Even though it all revolves around Lindsay's thoughts and blah blah blah, it's actually more Randy's story. He's the aggressor. She's just there.

Sex generates enough energy for ghosts to manifest. That’s Dera’s theory, and the sultry ghost hunter wants to test it with her sexy ex-boss.

Alec repressed his hunger for Dera when she worked for him, but three years later she wants to use his body for paranormal research…and use it hard. If raw sex can save his new business from the ghost that threatens it, it’s all in the name of science, right? The fact that his partner will be delicious Dera only makes the experiment more enticing. But will the ghost cooperate…or get in the way?

Paranormal research and sex collide! When I read the blurb I wasn't sure whether to laugh or roll my eyes. As the story unfolded, I was more into the ghost who was noted as being a residual haunt but actually showed an intelligence. He knew what was going on. He just needed two people with enough sexual energy to open the gate to heaven...???? Yeah, that's what I got from it.

There’s nothing worse than a horny dragon in search of his mate. Rajah, second-in-command to Percival the Wise, is winging over the northern seas when he spies the lissome Larkspur fleeing, with pirates in hot pursuit.

Larkspur has dreamed about mating with a fabulous dragon of Chrystal Isle. When Rajah snatches her to the safety of his arms at the last possible moment, carrying her off to his lair, it leads to hours of hot lovemaking as he practices his most seductive wiles on his chosen mate.

Eww to this one.

From random outbursts that becoming increasingly blunt and absurd, this one just freaked me out. Larkspur has fantasies of being a dragon's lover. When Rajah (No relation whatsoever to that loveable tiger) rescues her virgin self from pirates, he's convinced she is going to be his mate. It's one of those 'guy takes all and gives girl nothing' kind of stories.

What was worse is that he couldn't just shift into a human form. There was a process. Okay, I'm going x-rated. Heed the warning. So... in his dragon form, he had to press his huge scaly cock against her vagina. And yes, I'm going to say 'vagina' because this it already too vulgar to add the word 'pussy'. Anyway... when Lark comes... and why that's never spelled 'cums' is another trip for me. OMG, I keep getting off topic. Sorta... ANYWAY.. when she huh huh.. the juice seeps into the slit of his tip and triggers the shift but it's not until he comes that the shift is locked(?) and he's able to change at will. I don't know. She fell asleep after but I had the strange image of her being completely covered in white dragon goo.

Eww.

Twin Mountains Ranch foreman Mickey Lowe can’t sit through one more night of newlywed relations without losing his mind. Packing up his frustration and yearning, he delivers himself to Pearl spinster Emma Morgan with the intent to inspire some lusty cries of his own.

When the cowboy comes knocking at Emma’s door late in the night, she believes she knows what he wants and she is ready for him in an instant…until she discovers what he’s really after.

Interlude had probabably the most sweetest proposal I've ever read. Mickey and Emma have been well... eachother's booty call for some time now but with all the newlyweds around Mickey finds himself wanting more for their relationship.

He's just a sweetheart. A horny little sweetheart.

"I want a right to this. I want a right to you. To your bed. To your hands in public.

... I don't want to knock on your door anymore. I don't want to wait 'til after dark. I want to love you properly and sit beside you at church."

6.01.2010

Reaper’s Justice is set in the world of the Western Wind series, but can be read as a standalone story.

Kasid Jaborn never thought he would find his soul mate. He had given up hope of ever knowing the gentleness of a woman’s hand upon his body. Locked down behind the steel doors of the Reaper compound, Kasid runs into the one woman destined to be his. In the sweltering heat of the closed building where the Citadel’s air-conditioning has failed and tempers are beginning to flare red-hot, Kasid and his ladylove start their own raging inferno.

This story was great! It had everything I go for: Mate bonding, a male POV, goddesses, tats, well schooled virgins, sweaty palms, passionate kisses, and... formal speaking. Yeah, formal speaking. That which is usually found in historical romance or some such. It got a tad cheesy, but it worked. Definitely curious about this Western Wind series. There wasn't anything western about this one.

He had died at the hands of evil and had been brought back to life to destroy mankind. He had rebelled to save the humanity he had been destined to annihilate. Now he had been reborn in the arms of the one woman in all the megaverse who had been created just for him. He was whole for the first time. He had found peace at last.

Part of the Cougar Challenge series and a sequel to Beauty of Sunset.

John and Edie are in a rut. At a loss for how to recapture their magic, they decide on a holiday in the Seychelles to talk and recuperate from their busy lives. When Edie arrives, she finds herself alone, and wonders if John is really committed to their affair. When John arrives he has surprising news for Edie, but first, he needs her in his bed. But is this one last time or does he have more in mind?

SS went beyond my expectations which, granted, were not very high to begin with. It starts out great. Edie is in her hotel room awaiting her lover for a romantic weekend when he calls to tell her that his flight has been delayed. A little bit phone sex starts to happen and then, bam, suddenly John's voice isn't coming through the phone anymore. He's in the room.

Alise has been in love with Mac since she moved to New Eden, Washington. Unfortunately, the sexy attorney considers her a friend…and not one “with benefits”. Just as Alise decides unrequited love is for fools and poets, a freak thunderstorm plummets the town into darkness and traps her with the man who has starred in her every erotic fantasy for the past year. A blackout. Wine. A gorgeous man. Anything could happen.